By Akeem Oyetunji President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Monday said the Boko Haram sect poses more danger than the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS.
He has therefore, called on the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III to write a letter to the leadership of the Boko Haram to halt insurgency.
Pastor Oritsejafor made the call against the backdrop of the disclosure by the Sultan that he had written to the ISIS on the need to stop their violent campaign which he said was bringing the name of Islam into disrepute.
Both religious leaders spoke at the opening of a roundtable meeting with special advisers on religious affairs from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, held at the State House Banquet Hall.
The CAN president described as unacceptable, a situation where all the churches in Mubi, Adamawa State and other parts of the northeast had been destroyed by the Boko Haram.
In his remarks, the Sultan had insisted there was no problem between Islam and Christianity, adding that Muslim leaders have done so much to condemn the insurgents but still being accused of not doing enough.
Buttressing the steps he had take to encourage religious harmony across the world, Sultan Abubakar said, “Muslim leaders have tried so much. I have gone across the globe to say that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.
“We wrote to the Pope, the document is titled the Common World – published in 2010. He replied us and since that time, we have been having meetings.
“We also wrote to Islamic State (ISIS) to tell them that they should not continue to do what they are doing in the name of Islam. If we read those documents we must trust what we have said
“If we don’t trust one another, we cannot move forward. If we say one thing here and go back to our states to do other things, we have wasted our time and resources.”
“We wrote a letter to the President on what to do to end the scourge about two years ago. Myself and CAN President, Oritsejafor wrote him about two years ago.
“When we met again in the Villa for Security Council meeting, I reminded him. We told him we have done our best.
“We can only advise, we do not have constitutional powers to implement,” the Sultan said.
Also speaking, CAN President said, he was delighted to hear that the sultan had written to ISIS, urging him to replicate same at home so that Boko Haram insurgents could sheathe their swords.
His words, “Oritsejafor said, “His Eminence said he wrote a letter to ISIS, I have to truly congratulate you for that because that was a very good move. I didn’t know about it until today and I am so glad it happened.
“But I want to appeal that you also write to Boko Haram because Boko Haram is worse than ISIS. They have killed more people than ISIS, they have caused more atrocities than ISIS, they need to be written to as well, it is very important, it will help.
“I have made an appeal several times that there are some of our leaders who must come together, religious, political and traditional. They must come and discuss. I have heard and I may be wrong, one thing you will learn about me is that I’m usually not politically correct, I tell you as it is.
“But I have been told that the Boko Haram to a very large extent is very versed in scriptures. What scriptures do they use? They are still religious clerics that they respect. If these people are not presenting the right thing and are misrepresenting Islam, which I agree it is so, we agree that we need to reach our brothers so that the real Islam can be presented to them.
“They won’t listen to me, in fact they will kill me faster than anything else, oh yes that is the truth and I am aware of that. In fact as I speak I know what is going on around me all the time, so I know. But that it will be wrong to say they don’t kill Muslims, please don’t misunderstand me, but the reality is that the Muslims they kill, they kill for two reasons.
“One, they are Muslims who disagree with their ideology, that is a fact and I thank God for that. Two, they are Muslims who refused to work with them or give information about them, so they are not happy with them. It is a fact so I am not going to deny that.
“But if you go to a city like Mubi, no church is standing as I speak. Every church in that city has been levelled. It is very painful, it is disheartening. Can you imagine a governor saying to somebody ‘I cannot use the money of my state to send people of a certain religion on pilgrimage’. We must change such attitude, we must correct this thing. We cannot do that and have a great nation.
“Let me say that our actions must match our words, is not enough to say sweet and good and wonderful things. Those wonderful things are good but our practical actions must match everything we are saying. When you meet, meet with the heart that this is our Nigeria we don’t have another one.
“And as you meet, because you know you are not crossing to Cameroon, you are not crossing to Chad, you are in Nigeria and you are a Nigerian, put all the cards on the table. You may annoy each other, you may offend each other but if genuinely truly believe that we are all Nigerians, then we will find ways to work out those disagreements. But to sweep issues under the carpet will not take us anywhere.
“I’m excited about today; my heart is full of joy. I see hope, I see a country that can genuinely move forward. I have Muslims brothers and sisters that I can vouch for them any time any day. So when I speak like this I speak from my heart. I believe Nigeria can go forward, I believe Nigeria is a great nation, but Nigeria must get to a place, to a point where a man is not judged by his tribe nor judged by his religion but judged by the content of his character. A man does not get into a position because of his religion but because of his competence.
“A nation where people do the right thing and are rewarded and people do the wrong thing and they are punished…. There is greatness within us and I believe the time has come. To me, this meeting today is a meeting of hope, there is hope for Nigeria. May Nigeria grow and become one of the greatest nations on earth”, he said.
Vice President Namadi Sambo represented President Jonathan at the programme organized by the Offices of the Senior Special Assistants to the President on Islamic and Christian matters.
The theme of the dialogue is: “Toward synergising and interfacing in the religious sector for national development”.
